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Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Measles outbreaks lead states to reconsider vax exemptions

"Measles outbreaks across the nation are prompting state lawmakers to consider eliminating vaccination exemptions for religious and personal beliefs that have been claimed by the parents of some children," Jessie Hellman reports for The Hill.

State laws increasingly allow exemptions as a way to protect religious freedom and personal choice, but public health experts say the exemptions are one cause for the outbreaks. "Seventeen states, including Washington and Texas, allow exemptions for both religious and personal or philosophical beliefs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures," Hellman reports. "Both Washington and Texas have seen measles outbreaks this year."

Proposed measures in Minnesota, Colorado and Washington state would eliminate personal exemptions but retain religious exemptions, and proposals in Maine and Oregon would eliminate both exemptions, Hellman reports. Kentucky recently made it easier for parents to exempt their children, and vaccination rates dropped. This could be a local story in many places.

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